Freight-car.



P. MEINDEL.

FREIGHT CAR-. Arucmou mm JAN. 2 I918.

Patented Miii'; 12, 1918.

I Y l/VVENZ'OR 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

A TTOR/VE Y m 4 m V 7 4 \n'll mm m v EL M m Q Q 5 m 1 P. MEINDEL.

FREIGHT CAR. APPLICATION man mus. 191a.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

% ATTORNEY than an PAUL MEINDEL, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FREIGHT-CAR.

Application filed January 26, leis.

To all whom it may concern.- Be it known that 1, PAUL MEINDEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and city and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Freight-Car, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the loading and unloading of box freight cars. This is accomplished by a construction which throws open the entire s1de of the car, without, however, involving lateral outboard movement of the parts, which would be prohibitive. The car side is made in upper and lower sections which slide vertically in opposite directions. The sections are connected by cables passing over pulleys, in such manner as to cause their simultaneous movement, the one up and the other down. The upper section is preferably made to overbalance the lower section, so that they tend to close, and a toggle may be provided between the sections to hold them open.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a freight car embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation toward one side of the car, showing the side sections open;

Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. .2, indicating how'the bottom flap may be hinged out';

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail of the toggle; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken at one corner of the car. I

The car body has -fixed ends 2 and movable sides. Each-of the latter comprises two sections 3 and a, extending the full length or substantially the full length of the car, 3 being the upper section and a the lower section. These sections are mounted to slide vertically in suitable end guides 5, and when closed abut at their adjacent edges, substantially midway of the height of the car body.

The sections .areconnected at'each end by a cable 6, one end of which is connected at 'Z to the lower part of the upper section, the cable thence passing upward to and'over a pulley 8 near the top of the car, and thence downward to the upper part of the lower section, to which it is attached at 9, other pulleys 10 and 11 guiding its lower course. It

will thus be seen that the side of the car can either by pulling down the lower be opened, section, which w ll force the upper section to rise, or by raising the upper; section thus Specification of Letters Yatent.

. passes downward below latented Mar. 12, 1918..

Serial No. 213,857.

permitting the lower section to descend by gravity. Conversely, the sections when opened can be closed, either by'pulling down the upper section or by raisingthe lower.

The attachments 7 and 9 are preferably of such character, cable to be readily disengaged from either section, so that the sections may be removed.

The sections are additionally connected, at one or bothends, by a toggle composed of bars 12 and l3,which in the closed condition lie horizontal, folded together at the meetmg portlons of the sections, which may be recessed at the inside, as shown at 14:, to accommodate them without projection into the interior of the cm. The toggle bars are as indicated, asto permit the pivoted to the respective side. sections at 15 and 16, and their other ends are pivoted together at 17. The arrangement is preferably such that when the sections are fully opened the toggle is straightened and its member carried slightly past center, in which condition it is prevented from flexing in the other direction by contact with the adjacent fixed end portions of the car. Under these circumstances the toggle is locked and rigidly holds the side sections in their separated positions. A' spring 18 may be provided at the hinge of the toggle to carry it automatically the slight distance past center suffi clent to 1nsure it against collapse, when the car is opened.

As heretofore stated the upper section 3 i is preferably heavier than the lower section,

so that when the toggle or toggles are.

broken, thissection will automatically descend and will lift the lower section. It is will be sufiicien't, which will materially facilitate the closing of the car.

As shown the lower section a may have a horizontal hinge 19, which permits the lower portion 20 of this section to swing when it the slides in the opening of the car. Thus, this lower portion can be folded outward to avoid obstruction beneath, or to serve as an apron or gap closer, for example when loadin to or from the deck of a boat immediately a ongside.

" The 'car preferably has pro]ecting eaves and these or roof extensions 21 at the sides, may be hinged as indicated at 22 so as to fold upward out of the way when the upper sections 3 slide up. This result may be produced automatically by the sections, andthe eaves may be lowered automatically, by

springs 23, when the sections descend again in closing.

No attempt has been made to show the particular structural arrangement of the fixed part of the car body. It will be understood that this may be substantially as usual, except that the end portions may be made stronger than ordinarily in order to compensate for absence of support along the sides. Or, as indicated at 24 in Fig. 1, one or more joists may be provided at the sides behind the slidable sections.

What I claim as new is:

1. A freight car having an entire side which opens, the same being composed of upper and lower sections which are slidably mounted for movement in opposite directions.

2. A freight car having a side comprising upper and lower sections, vertical slides whereon said sections are guided, and connections whereby said sections are caused to slide simultaneously in opposite directions.

3. A freight car having a side comprising ,upper and lower sections, vertical slides whereon said sections are guided, and cables and pulleys for the connection of the section's, said cables passing from the lower part of the upper section over upper pulleys the lower Section.

4. A freight car having a side comprising upper and lower sections, vertical slides whereon said sections are guided, and cable connections causing said sections to slide in opposite directions, the upper section overweighting the lower section so that the sections tend to close.

' 5. A freight car having a side comprising upper and lower sections, vertical slides whereon said sections are guided, cable connections causing said sections to slide in opposite directions, and a toggle for holding them open. I

6. A freight car havin which opens, the same being composed of upper and lower sections which are slidably mounted for movement in Opposite directions, and a folding roof extension permitting the rise of the upper section.

7. A freight car having an entire sidewhich opens, the same being composed of an entire side upper and lower sections which are slidably mounted for movement 1n opposite direc- .5

- tions, and the lower section having its lower portion movable on a hinge when said section is lowered.

" PAUL MEINDELQW copies otthiu patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

, Waahton, D. 0." 

